JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday there is no final decision yet on the planned relocation of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) headquarters to a 270-hectare section of the Masungi Georeserve, a protected forest area in Rizal province.
Remulla made the statement after the plan drew criticism from environmental advocates who claim that it will damage the Upper Marikina watershed that has been under the protection of Masungi Georeserve Foundation for several decades already.
“There should be no problem since we are proenvironment. There are people who are simply alarmist”, Remulla said in an interview with reporters.
Bureau of Corrections Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. also assured the public of a “environment-friendly” construction once the plan pushes through.
The BuCor plans to transfer its headquarters and Corrections National Training Institute to the said location. It also intends to build a residential area for its personnel and employees.
Its claim on the property is anchored on Proclamation 1158 issued by former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which set aside 270 hectares of the land as the new site of the NBP.
“What is important is to ensure that Masungi is preserved, but the other areas that are idle can be used by the government,” Remulla said as he insisted that the title of Masungi belongs to the government.
“It’s the heritage of the Filipino people. It does not belong to one foundation at all but to all the Filipino people,” he said.
Earlier, Remulla defended BuCor’s plan, saying the choice of location was within its mandate to improve the country’s penal management system.
On the other hand, Catapang said the BuCor will consult with all stakeholders, including environment advocates to explain their plan and also hear their arguments opposing the planned relocation of the BuCor’s headquarters and the setting up of a training center.
“We are very much willing to talk to all of them. We will sit down with them,” he said. Catapang said he is also planning to talk to the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning on how best to develop and preserve the area.